Steering-gear for traction-engines.



PATENTED MAR. 3; 1903.

w. P. MGBETH. STEERING GEAR FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

10 MODEL.

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PATHNTED MA'B, 3,' 190a.

W. F. MoBETH.

STEERING GEAR FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

. APP LICATIOH IILED AUG. 13, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARRENv FLETCHER MCBETH, OF PAXTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHSTO N. E. CROTHERS, J. S. DENNIS, AND ERWIN O. BOGARDUS,

OF PAXTON, ILLINOIS.

STEERING-GEAR i -OR TRACTION-ENGINES.

BPECIFICA'IIOII forming part cf Letters Patent No. 721,724 dated March3, 1903.

Application filed August 13, 1902.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN FLETCHER MCBETH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Paxton, in the county of Ford and State of Illinois,have invented a new and usefulSteering-Gear forTraction-Engines,Automobiles, &G., of which the following is a specification. I I

The invention relates to improvements in KO steering-gear fortraction-engines, automobiles, and other motor-vehicles.

The object of the present invent-ion is to improve the construction ofsteering-gear for traction-engines, automobiles, and othermotor-vehicles and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficientconstruction adapted to cause an engine or vehicle to travel in anydesired direction without continuously holding and manipulating thesteering-gear and by manipulating the said gear only when it is-desiredto change the direction or course and capable of afiording a more steadyand uniform motion of an engine or vehicle and of lessening the labor ofguiding the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a traction-engineprovided with a steering-gear constructed in accordance with thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating thearrangement of the 5 gearing. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating another arrangement of the rods forconnecting the front axle with the toothed segment.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a toothed segment pivotally mounted by a bolt 2 or othersuitable fastening device on a bracket or frame 3 and having a straightfront edge and a curved rear edge provided with teeth 4 and meshing witha worm-gear 5 of a transverse shaft 6. The

bracket or frame, which may be of any desired construction and which inpractice will be varied to suit the character of the vehicle Serial No.119,564. (No model.)

to which the steering-gear is to be applied, is

shown in the accompanying drawings bolted in advance of the fire-box 7of a traction-engine and arranged beneath theboiler 8. The toothedsegment is preferably provided at its lower face with a bearing 9, whichis interlocked with a corresponding bearing 10 of the bracket or frameto relieve the pivot-bolt of strain. The bearing may be constructed inany desired manner, and the bracket and the pivot-bolt are braced by arod 11, extending from the said pivot-bolt to the pivot of the frontaxle 12 of the traction-engine. The toothed segment, which is located ata point between the ends of the traction-engine, is connected with thefront axle by a pair of rods 13, which may be arranged parallel, asillustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, or crossed, as shownat 14 in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The front ends of the rods 13 arebifurcated to receive the heads of bolts 15, which pass through thefront axle and which are provided at their rear ends with eyes for thereception of pivots 16. The rear ends 17 of the rods 13 are connectedwith the toothed segment, by bolts or other suitable pivots, and whenthe toothed-segment is oscillated the front axle will be turned, as

will be readily apparent.

The transverse shaft 6 is journaled in suit- Be able bearings 18 ofthe'bracket or frame 3 and has keyed or otherwise'secured to its outerend a gear-wheel 19, which meshes with a worm-gear 20 of an inclinedsteering-rod 21,

journaled in suitable bearings 22 and arthereby'changing the course ofthe tractionengine. The gearing is also adapted to form -a lock forrigidly holding the front axle in its adjusted position, and thetraction-engine or other machine to which the steering-gear is appliedwill continue in a given direction until its course is changed bymanipulating the steering-gear. The motion of the traction engine orvehicle will be rendered stead-y and uniform by the gearing, which willprevent any vibration of the axle in adjusting the same, and the laborof guiding a vehicle will be reduced to a minimum.

I desire it to be understood that various changes in the form,proportion, and minor details of construction within the scope of theappended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, such as varying theform of the frame or bracket and the manner of mounting the parts toadapt the steering-gear to the engine or vehicle to which it is to beapplied. Also bevel or other form of gearing may be employed forconnecting the steering-rod with the transverse shaft 6, and suitablesprings may be employed inside of the boxings of the'said shaft to takeup jar of the rods and the axle, if necessary or desirable.

What I claim is-- 1. Asteering-gearcomprisingatoothedsegment pivoteddirectly to a suitable support and designed to be located in rear of thefront axle of a vehicle or machine, rods extending forward from thetoothed segment for connecting the same with the front axle andpivotally connected to each of such parts, a transverse shaft having aWorm meshing with the segment, and gearing for rotating the transverseshaft, substantially as described.

2. A steering-gear comprising a support,a

3. Asteering-gear comprising a support designed to be arranged in rearof the front axle of a vehicle or machine, a segment pivotally mountedon the support and having a curved rear edge provided with teeth, abracerod connected with the support by the pivot of the segment andextending to the front axle, rods extending forward from the segment forconnecting the sides of the same with the front axle, a transverse shaftmounted on the support in rear of the segment and provided with a wormmeshing with the same, a steering-rod, and gearing for connecting thesteering-rod with the transverse shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

WARREN FLETCHER MCBETII.

Witnesses:

FRANK LINDLEY, GUSTAF E. JOHNSON.

